Chapter XVI. Type and Mission of the Saints

Rearing a Temple to the God of Israel. Description of the Temple. The Dedication. Joseph's Great Prayer. Administration of Angels. The Voice- of Jehovah. Visions oFMoses, Elias and Elijah.

AND ELIJAH.

By the time Kirtland was built up the saints thoroughly understood their type and mission as the Latter-day Israel ; and with an exultation that had been worthy ancient Israel, they dwelt upon the promises renewed unto them by the oath of the mighty God of Jacob.

Their destiny was clearly defined by the prophetic genius of their great founder, the divine text of which, applied to them as a people, was —

" The Lord shall establish thee a holy people unto himself; and make thee the head and not the tail, and thou shalt be above only ; and thou shalt not be beneath ; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and do them."

Therefore the saints in their Zion had reared a temple to the august name of the God of Israel — the author of their covenant.

And this temple-building in America was inspired by the same genius as that which gave the covenant a renewal.

The spirit of Jehovah o'ershadowed the temple. An ancient, not a modern, meaning was in it. It was Hebraic in its prophecy and symbol, Hebraic in its priesthood and order of worship.

Rome, the mother of Christendom, had built her gorgeous cathedral to the name of St. Peter ; her daughter, the English Church, had built a monument of worship scarcely less imposing, dedicated to the name of St. Paul ; Europe had, in fact, been crowded with cathedrals, churches and chapels, bearing the names of a legion of Romish Saints and Protestant Reformers.

But no monument had been reared to the name of Israel's God!

A majesty, borrowed from Heathendom, Rome sanctified with the name of Jesus the son of David, to the very rivalry of that God who gave the sceptre unto Judah's hand.

Rome had done all for herself, nothing for Jerusalem !

It had been a most pertinent question : "Which of all the gods do Gentile Christians worship?"

But Jehovah had again raised up a prophet. Again had he an Israel in the earth, with a living covenant in force and a present oath to fulfill.

Joseph was literally restoring the almost forgotten glory of Israel ! The angels of dispensations gave him the keys of Israel's restoration. So did Joseph, now first of all, restore the God of Israel, that the nations might worship him, and symbolized his

majesty and dominion in the future by a temple dedicated to his name.

Tis a wondrous example ! Who can mistake its meaning?

" Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me : and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in : behold he shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts."

The restoration of the supreme name of Jehovah; the ministration of his will to the nations, and the speedy coming of Messiah as King of Zion, were the very symbolism of that temple which arose in Kirtland, proclaiming a new dispensation. X

" It (the temple) was commenced," says Eliza R. Snow, " in June, 1833, under the immediate direction of the Almighty, through his servant, Joseph Smith, whom he had called in his boyhood, like Samuel of old, to introduce the fullness of the everlasting gospel.

" At that time the saints were few in number, and most of them very poor ; and had it not been for the assurance that God had spoken, and had commanded that a house should be built to his name, of which he not only revealed the form, but also designated the dimensions, an attempt towards building that temple, under the then existing circumstances, would have been, by all concerned, pronounced preposterous.

" Although many sections of the world abounded with mosques, churches, synagogues and cathedrals, built professedly for worship, this was the first

instance, for the lapse of many centuries, of God having given a pattern, from the heavens, and manifested by direct revelation how the edifice should be constructed, in order that he might accept and acknowledge it as his own. This knowledge inspired the saints to almost superhuman efforts, while through faith and union they acquired strength. In comparison with eastern churches and cathedrals, this temple is not large, but in view of the amount of available means possessed, a calculation of the cost, at the lowest possible figures, would have staggered the faith of any but Latter-day saints ; and it now stands as a monumental pillar.

" Its dimensions are eighty by fifty-nine feet ; the walls fifty feet high, and the tower one hundred and ten feet. The two main halls are fifty-five by sixty-five feet, in the inner court. The building has four vestries in front, and five rooms in the attic, which were devoted to literature and for meetings of the various quorums of the priesthood.

" There was a peculiarity in the arrangement of the inner court which made it more than ordinarily impressive — so much so that a sense of sacred awe seemed to rest upon all who entered. Not only the saints, but strangers also, manifested a high degree of reverential feeling. Four pulpits stood, one above another, in the centre of the building, from north to south, both on the east and west ends ; those on the west for the presiding officers of the Melchisidec priesthood, and those on the east for the Aaronic ; and each of these pulpits was separated by curtains of white painted canvas, which were let down and drawn up at pleasure. In front

of each of these two rows of pulpits was a sacrament table, for the administration of that sacred ordinance. In each corner of the court was an elevated pew for the singers — the choir being distributed into four compartmencs. In addition to the pulpit curtains were others, intersecting at right angles, which divided the main ground-floor hall into four equal sections, giving to each one-half of one set of pulpits.

" From the day the ground was broken for laying the foundation of the temple, until its dedication on the 27th of March, 1836, the work was vigorously prosecuted.

" With very little capital except ,brain, bone and sinew, combined with unwavering trust in God, men, women, and even children, worked with their might. While the brethren labored in their departments, the sisters were actively engaged in boarding and clothing workmen not otherwise provided for — all living as abstemiously as possible, so that every cent might be appropriated to the grand object, while their energies were stimulated by the prospect of participating in the blessing of a house built by the direction of the Most High, and accepted by him.

" The dedication was looked forward to with intense interest, and when the day arrived (Sunday, March 27th, 1836) a dense multitude assembled. The temple was filled to its utmost, and when the ushers were compelled to close the doors, the outside congregation was nearly, if not quite, as large as that within. * * *

" At the hour appointed the assembly was seated,

and at nine o'clock President Sidney Rigdon commenced the services of the day by reading the ninety-sixth and twenty-fourth Psalms."

After the preliminary exercises, President Rigdon delivered a discourse from the 18th, 19th and 20th verses of the nineteenth chapter of Matthew, wrhich was spoken of by Joseph as being "very forcible and sublime."

The mornino- and afternoon services were divided by an intermission of twenty minutes, during which the conereeation remained seated. The afternoon service began by the singing of " Adam-ondi-ahman," which may be interpreted as the Song of Adam. And to those present who understood something of the' grand patriarchal order of the heavens, to be restored under the ministry of Adam, — " the Ancient of Days,"— this patriarchal song must have possessed a very peculiar significance.

Concerning the services which followed, Joseph says :

" I then made a short address, and called upon the several quorums, and all the congregation of saints, to acknowledge the Presidency as Prophets and Seers, and uphold them by their prayers. They all covenanted to do so, by rising."

He then called upon the quorums and the congregation to acknowledge and .uphold the Twelve Apostles, the Presidents of the Seventies, the High Council of Kirtland, the Bishops of Kirtland and Zion and their councilors, the High Council of Zion, the President of the Elders and his councilors, and the President of the Priests, Teachers, and Deacons, and their councilors.

" The vote was unanimous in every instance," says Joseph, " and I prophesied to all that inasmuch as they would uphold these men in their several stations, the Lord would bless them ; yea, in the name of Christ, the blessings of heaven shall be yours ; and when the Lord's anointed go forth to proclaim the word, bearing testimony to this generation, if they receive it they shall be blessed ; but if not, the judgments of God will follow close upon them, until that city or that house which rejects them shall be left desolate."

After singing by the congregation, Joseph offered the following dedicatory prayer:

" Thanks be to thy name, O Lord God of Israel, who keepest covenant, and slowest mercy unto thy servants who walk uprightly before thee, with all their hearts; thou who hast commanded thy servants to build a house to thy name in this place. And now thou beholdest, O Lord, that thy servants have done according to thy commandment. And now we ask thee, Holy Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, the son of thy bosom, in whose name alone salvation can be administered to the children of men, we ask thee, O Lord, to accept of this house, the workmanship of the hands of us, thy servants, which thou didst command us. to build; for thou knowest that we have done this work through great tribulation; and out of our poverty we have given of our substance, to build a house to thy name, that the Son of Man might have a place to manifest himself to his people. And as thou hast said in a revelation, given to us, calling us thy friends, saying, 'call your solemn assembly, as I have commanded you ; and as all have not faith, seek ye diligently, and teach one another words of wisdom ; yea, seek ye, out of

the best books, words of wisdom ; seek learning even by study, and also by faith. Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing, and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God. That your incomings may be in the name of the Lord, that your outgoings may be in the name of the Lord, that all your salutations may be in the name of the Lord, with uplifted hands to the Most High.'

"And now, Holy Father, we ask thee to assist us, thy people, with thy grace, in calling our solemn assembly, that it may be done to thy honor, and to thy divine acceptance. And in a manner that we may be found worthy in thy sight to secure a fulfillment of the promises which thou hast made unto us, thy people, in the revelations given unto us ; that thy glory may rest down upon thy people, and upon this thy house, which we now dedicate to thee, that it may be sanctified and consecrated to be holy, and that thy holy presence may be continually in this house, and that all people who shall enter upon the threshold of the Lord's house may feel thy power, and feel constrained to acknowledge that thou hast sanctified it, and that it is thy house, a place of thy holiness. And do thou grant, Holy Father, that all those who shall worship in this house, may be taught words of wisdom out of the best books, and that they may. seek learning even by study, and also by faith, as thou hast said; and that they may grow up in thee, and receive a fullness of the Holy Ghost, and be organized according to thy laws, and be prepared to obtain every needful thing; and that this house may be a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of glory and of God, even thy house; that all the incomings of thy people, into this house, may be in the name of the Lord; that all the outgoings from this house

may be in the name of the Lord ; and that all their salutations may be in the name of the Lord, with holy hands, uplifted to the Most High; and that no unclean thing- shall be permitted to come into thy house to pollute it ; and when thy people transgress, any of them, they may speedily repent, and return unto thee, and find favor in thy sight, and be restored to the blessings which thou hast ordained to be poured out upon those who shall reverence thee in thy house. And we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house, armed with thy power, and thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them ; and from this place they may, bear exceedingly great and glorious tidings, in truth, unto the ends of the earth, that they may know that this is thy work, and that thou hast put forth thy hand, to fulfill that which thou hast spoken by the mouths of the prophets, concerning the last days. We ask thee, Holy Father, to establish the people that shall worship and honorably hold a name and standing in this thy house, to all generations, and for eternity, that no weapon formed against them shall prosper; that he who diggeth a pit for them shall fall into the same himself; that no combination of wickedness shall have power to rise up and prevail over thy people upon whom thy name shall be put in this house; and if any people shall rise against this people, that thy anger be kindled against them, and if they shall smite this people thou wilt smite them, thou wilt fight for thy people as thou didst in the day of battle, that they may be delivered from the hands of all their enemies.

"We ask thee, Holy Father, to confound, and astonish, and to bring to shame and confusion, all those who have spread lying reports abroad, over the world, against thy servant, or servants, if they will not repent when the everlasting gospel shall be

proclaimed in their ears, and that all their works may be brought to naught, and be swept away by the hail, and by the judgments which thou wilt send upon them in thy anger, that there may be an end to lyings and slanders against thy people; for thou knowest, O Lord, that thy servants have been innocent before thee in bearing record of thy name, for which they have suffered these things; therefore we plead before thee a full and complete deliverance from under this yoke; break it off, O Lord; break it off from the necks of thy servants, by thy power, that we may rise up in the midst of this generation and do thy work.

" O Jehovah, have mercy on this people, and as all men sin, forgive the transgressions of thy people, and let them be blotted out forever. Let the anointing of thy ministers be sealed upon them with power from on high ; let it be fulfilled upon them as upon those on the day of pentecost ; let the gift of tongues be poured out upon thy people, even cloven tongues as of fire, and the interpretation thereof, and let thy house be filled, as with a rushing mighty wind, with thy glory. Put upon thy servants the testimony of the covenant, that when they go out and proclaim thy word, they may seal up the law, and prepare the hearts of thy saints for all those judgments thou art about to send, in thy wrath, upon the inhabitants of the earth, because of their transgressions; that thy people may not faint in the day of trouble. And whatsoever city thy servants shall enter, and the people of that city receive their testimony, let thy peace and thy salvation be upon that city, that they may gather out of that city the righteous, that they may come forth to Zion, or to her stakes, the places of thy appointment, with songs of everlasting joy ; and until this be accomplished, let not thy judgments fall upon this city. And whatsoever city thy servants shall enter, and

the people of that city receive their testimony, let thy peace and thy salvation be upon that city, that vhey may gather out of that city the righteous, that they may come forth to Zion, or to her stakes, the places of thy appointment, with songs of everlasting joy; and until this be accomplished, let not thy judgments fall upon this city. And whatsoever city thy servants shall enter, and the people of that city receive not the testimony of thy servants, and thy servants warn them to save themselves from this untoward generation, let it be upon that city according to that which thou hast spoken by the mouths of thy prophets; but deliver thou, O Jehovah, we beseech thee, thy servants from their hands, and cleanse them from their blood. O Lord, we delieht not in the destruction of our fellow-men! Their souls are precious before thee, but thy word must be fulfilled. Help thy servants to say, with thy grace assisting them, thy will be done, O Lord, and not ours. We know that thou hast spoken by the mouth of thy prophets terrible things concerning the wicked, in the last days — that thou wilt pour out thy judgments without measure; therefore, O Lord, deliver thy people from the calamity of the wicked; enable thy servants to seal up the law, and bind up the testimony; that they may be prepared against the day of burning. We ask thee, Holy Father, to remember those who have been driven (by the inhabitants of Jackson County, Mo.) from the lands of their inheritance, and break off, O Lord, this yoke of affliction that has been put upon them. Thou knowest, O Lord, that they have been greatly oppressed and afflicted by wicked men, and our hearts flow out with sorrow because of their grievous burdens. O Lord, how long wilt thou suffer this people to bear this affliction, and the cries of their innocent ones to ascend up in thine ears, and their blood come up in testimony before thee, and

not make a display of thy testimony in their behalf? Have mercy, O Lord, upon that wicked mob who have driven thy people, that they may cease to spoil, that they may repent of their sins, if repentance is to be found ; but if they will not, make bare thine arm, O Lord, and redeem that which thou didst appoint a Zion unto thy people.

"And if it cannot be otherwise, that the cause of thy people may not fail before thee, may thine anger be kindled, and thine indignation fall upon them, that they may be wasted away, both root and branch, from under heaven; but inasmuch as they will repent, thou art gracious and merciful, and wilt turn away thy wrath when thou lookest upon the face of thine anointed. Have mercy, O Lord, upon all the nations of the earth ; have mercy upon the rulers of our land ; may those principles which were so honorably and nobly defended, namely, the constitution of our land, by our fathers, be established forever. Remember the kings, the princes, the nobles, and the great ones of the earth, and all people, and the churches, all the poor, the needy and afflicted ones of the earth, that their hearts maybe softened, when thy servants shall go out from thy house, O Jehovah, to bear testimony, of thy name, that their prejudices may give way before the truth, and thy people may obtain favor in the sight of all, that all the ends of the earth may know that we thy servants have heard thy voice, and that thou hast sent us; that from all these, thy servants, the sons of Jacob, ma)- gather out the righteous to build a holy city to thy name, as thou hast commanded them. We ask thee to appoint unto Zion other stakes besides this one which thou hast appointed, that the gathering of thy people may roll on in great power and majesty, that thy work may be cut short in righteousness. Now these words, O Lord, we have spoken before thee, concerning the revelations and commandments

which thou hast given unto us, who are identified with the Gentiles ; but thou knowest that thou hast a great love for the children of Jacob, who have been scattered upon the mountains, for a long time, in a cloudy and dark day ; we therefore ask thee to have mercy upon the children of Jacob, that Jerusalem, from this hour, may begin to be redeemed, and the yoke of bondage begin to be broken off from the house of David, and the children of Judah may begin to return to the lands which thou didst give to Abraham, their father; and cause that the remnants of Jacob, who have been cursed and smitten because of their transgressions, be converted from their wild and savage condition, to the fullness of the everlasting gospel, that they may lay down their weapons of bloodshed, and cease their rebellions; and may all the scattered remnants of Israel, who have been driven to the ends of the earth, come to a knowledge of the truth, believe in the Messiah, and be redeemed from oppression, and rejoice before thee.

"O Lord, remember thy servant, Joseph Smith, Jr., and all his afflictions and persecutions, how he has covenanted with Jehovah, and vowed to thee, O mighty God of Jacob, and the commandments which thou hast given unto him, and that he hath sincerely striven to do thy will. Have mercy, O Lord, upon his wife and children, that they may be exalted in thy presence and preserved by thy fostering hand; have mercy upon all their immediate connections, that their prejudices may be broken up and swept away as with a flood, that they may be converted and redeemed with Israel, and know that thou art God. Remember, O Lord, the presidents, even all the presidents of thy church, that thy right hand may exalt them, with all their families, and their immediate connections, that their names may be perpetuated and had in everlasting remembrance,

from generation to generation. Remember all thy church, O Lord, with all their families, and all their immediate connections, with all their sick and afflicted ones, with all the poor and meek of the earth, that the kingdom which thou hadst set up without hands may become a great mountain, and fill the whole earth ; that thy church may come forth out of the wilderness of darkness, and shine forth fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners, and be adorned as a bride for that day when thou shalt unveil the heavens, and cause the mountains to flow down at thy presence, and the valleys to be exalted, the rough places made smooth ; that thy glory may fill the earth, that when the trump shall sound for the dead we shall be caught up in the cloud to meet thee, that we may ever be with the Lord, that our garments may be pure, that we may be clothed upon with robes of righteousness, with palms in our hands and crowns of glory upon our heads, and reap eternal joy for all our sufferings.

" O Lord God Almighty, hear us in these petitions, and answer us from heaven, thy holy habitation, where thou sittest enthroned, with glory, honor, power, majesty, might, dominion, truth, justice, judgment, mercy, and an infinity of fullness, from everlasting- to everlasting. O hear, O hear, O hear us, O Lord, and answer these petitions, and accept the dedication of this house unto thee, the work of our hands, which we have built unto thy name ! And also this church, to put upon it thy name; and help us by the power of thy spirit, that we may mingle our voices with those bright shining seraphs around thy throne, with acclamations of praise, singing hosanna to God and the Lamb, and let these thine anointed ones be clothed with salvation, and thy saints shout aloud for joy. Amen, and Amen."

The sublimity of this prayer is striking. Its opening : " Thanks be to thy name, O Lord God of Israel, who keepest covenant and slowest mercy unto thy servants," has an antique grandeur in its tone, while the exalted outburst, " O Jehovah, have mercy upon this people!" and " Have mercy upon ,the children of Jacob, that Jerusalem, from this hour, may begin to be redeemed, and the yoke of bondage begin to be broken off" from the house of David, that the children of Judah may begin to return unto the lands which thou didst give to Abraham, their father," has an Hebraic swell worthy one of the old Jewish prophets.

There could be no mistaking the God whom Joseph was revealing to his disciples, nor the one with whom they were making their covenant. Indeed, how wonderfully personal is this language: '' O Lord, remember thy servant, Joseph Smith, Jr., and all his afflictions and persecutions, how he has covenanted with Jehovah, and vowed to thee, O mighty God of Jacob, and the commandments which thou hast given unto him, and that he hath sincerely striven to do thy will."

Joseph, in fact, had actually made a covenant with Jehovah, administered to him by angels, which he in turn was administering to the saints in that temple, now dedicated to the name of the God of Jacob.

The divine events of that occasion would be very incompletely told without a view of the angelic administration which there took place :

After the close of the above prayer, and singing by the choir, the Lord's Supper was administered " after which," says Joseph, " I bore record of my

mission, and of the ministration of angels. * * * President F. G. Williams arose, and testified that while President Rigdon was making his first prayer, an ansfel entered the window and took his seat between father Smith and himself, and remained there during his prayer. President David Whitmer also saw angels in the house."

At the evening meeting of the same day, says Joseph, " Brother George A. Smith arose and began to prophesy, when a noise was heard like the sound of a rushing mighty wind, which filled the temple, and all the congregation simultaneously arose, being moved upon by an invisible power. Many began to speak in tongues and prophesy; others saw glorious visions; and I beheld the temple was filled with angels, which fact I declared to the congregation. The people of the neighborhood came running together (hearing an unusual sound within, and seeing a bright light like a pillar of fire resting upon the temple), and were astonished at what was transpiring."

From that day onward these pentecostal scenes were frequent. On Sunday, April 3d, on the occasion of a meeting in the temple, after assisting in the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, says Joseph: " I retired to the pulpit, the vails being dropped, and bowed myself, with Oliver Cowdery, in solemn and silent prayer. After rising from prayer, the following vision was opened to both of us:

"The vail was taken from our minds, and the eyes of our understanding were opened. We saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit before us, and under his feet was a paved work of

pure gold, in color like amber. His eyes were as a flame of fire, the hair of his head was white like the pure snow, his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun, and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying:

" ' I am the first and the last, I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain, I am your advocate with the Father. Behold your sins are forgiven you, you are clean before me, therefore lift up your heads and rejoice, let the hearts of your brethren rejoice, and let the hearts of all my people rejoice, who have, with their might, built this house to my name, for behold, I have accepted this house, and my name shall be here, and I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house, yea, I will appear unto my servants, and speak unto them with mine own voice, if my people will keep my commandments, and do not pollute this holy house, yea the hearts of thousands and tens of thousands shall greatly rejoice in consequence of the blessings which shall be poured out, and the endowment with which my servants have been endowed in this house; and the fame of this house shall spread to foreign lands, and this is the beginning of the blessing which shall be poured out upon the heads of my people. Even so. Amen.'

" After this vision closed the heavens were again opened unto us, and Moses appeared before us, and committed unto us the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the Ten Tribes from the land of the north.

" After this Elias appeared, and committed the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham, saying, that in us, and our seed, all generations after us should be blessed.

" After this vision had closed, another great and glorious vision burst upon us, for Elijah the Prophet, who was taken to heaven without tasting death, stood before us, and said:

" ' Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi, testifying that he [Elijah] should be sent before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse. Therefore the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands, and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors.'"